3rd Person's POV
"You could earth bend all along!?" Aang questions his friend, the laughing King snickered with a small nod, "Well, they didn't cover my face." Bumi lifts up his head, sending them off of the chute, his metal coffin landing straight up on a newly formed rock. Aang landing in front of him, confusion drawled across his face.
"I don't understand. Why didn't you free yourself? Why did you surrender when Omashu was invaded? What's the matter with you, Bumi!?"
"Listen to me, Aang. There are options in fighting, called gin. It's a choice of how you direct your energy."
"I know!" Aang lifts up his hand, counting them off of his fingers, "There's positive gin when you're attacking, and negative gin when you're retreating."
"And neutral gin, when you do nothing!"
"There are three gins?" Aang yells, lifting up another finger for the added gin, 'Since when?!'
"Well, technically there are eighty five. But, let's just focus on the third. Neutral gin is the key to earth bending. It involves listening and waiting for the right moment to strike."
"That's why you surrendered, isn't it?"
"Yes, and it's why I can't leave now." Aang looks down at his feet, turning so his back was facing Bumi, disappointed.
"I guess I need to find someone else to teach me earthbending."
"Your teacher will be someone who has mastered neutral gin. You need to find someone who waits and listens before striking." A thought occurred to Aang, realizing that before... Bumi didn't react to not seeing Himoko with them.
"You don't even want to leave for Himoko's sake?"
"She is on her own path of gin, well also to keep her safe and away from the Fire Nation that has taken over our home."
"You know where she is then!" Aang felt his heart rate jump, excitement on his face as he turned back around, pointing an accusatory finger at the senior bender.
"Of course! It is my job to know where she is! I am glad to know that she didn't tell you lot where she went!"
"Why? Why did you tell her not to let us know Bumi?!"
"The Fire Nation has been planning on taking Omashu as their own for many years, it was only a matter of when they would strike. It was put into motion rather quickly after word spread of Himoko's ancestry. After she pulled that not so smart stunt. Which by the way- WHY DID YOU LET HER DO THAT?!"
"Ah I'm sorry! I-I didn't know what she was planning and she w-was in a s-sort of tight spot and-!" Bumi cackled, reeling his head back against the coffin, tears springing in his eyes from how much he was laughing, "Oh don't worry! I am not mad at either of you!" Aang released a sigh of relief, wiping away the sweat he felt trailing down the side of his head.
"I prefer to know that she showed the world who she was when fighting against her enemies, and not it be against her will!"
"Positive gin..." Muttered Aang, recalling the moment of seeing her airbend at the prison fort.
"Correcttt!" Momo swoops down from who knows where- Landing onto Aang's shoulder, chittering loudly at the two.
"Hey, Momo!"
"Momo's mastered a few gins himself!" Momo looks up at Bumi, screams, then ding dong ditches the two.
"Goodbye, Aang. I'll see you when the time is right." Bumi goes to lean back, stopped by Aang's sudden shout.
"Wait! Where is Himoko?!"
"The safest place she can be." He smirked at Aang before finally taking his leave, leaving the avatar to mull over his words, confused on where Himoko's whereabouts were at.
"Aang!" Aang shook his head, snapping out of his thoughts, joining his friends on top of the Sky Bison.
"Did Bumi just bend?"
"Yeah, long story, he wants to stay captured?"
"Himoko's grandpa is surely a crazy King." 'A smart crazy king.' Thought Aang as they took flight.
"Speaking of Himoko, did Bumi say anything?" Katara asks her friend.
"He said that, she is 'at the safest place she can be', any ideas?" The siblings glanced at each other, shaking their heads.
"Well, if Bumi says that she is safe, then we can only take his word for it." Sokka muttered in reply, gripping Appa's reigns tighter.
---
Days passed and Himoko had yet to step foot outside of the palace again, deciding to collect more information while inside.
News did come, and worst to their fears- Omashu was taken by the Fire Nation, and renamed New Ozai.
But- Word came from insiders that the citizens were safe, a rebellion group formed, and were out of the city and away from the Fire Nation. However King Bumi was still captured and nowhere to be seen or heard from.
Himoko sat in the extensive library, glancing up at the Dai Li Agent that was assigned to her to stay by her side at all times unless she goes to the restroom or inside of her room.
It was suffocating to be watched like this, but every day she was assigned a new Dai Li Agent instead of the same one. And today, she was assigned Salem.
The mark on his face from getting backhanded by Long Feng was long gone. He hadn't spoken to her about being hit like that, and it seemed to be for good reason. It was as if no one should know about it outside of the Dai Li Agents. Only reason Himoko knew was because of her bending, and the implication of it when she saw him again.
He was reading his own book across from her, his agent get up not as intimidating when he was doing something so mundane.
She was beginning to view Sadem as a friend and a potential ally, unlike the other agents who stayed quiet and only spoke when she asked them something. Here at least- Salem would strike up their own conversations.
"How long have you been with the Dai Li?" Questioned Himoko as she has been wondering and meaning to ask him. Sadem was younger than the rest of the Dai Li, looking to be around 18.
"Only for a year, I'm still considered a Recruit or a Newbie." 'Ha, noob.' Himoko commented to herself in thought as she nodded, "How do you even become an agent?"
"If you are thinking there is a job fair for it, you are far from wrong." Stated the boy, moving his head back and forth, cracking the tense muscles. "Long Feng picks us personally, he regularly goes to earthbending lessons in the city to scout out more potential agents. That's the usual cut throat way." Himoko rose a brow, closing her book and tossing it on the ground, having not really found it too interesting to read further.
"Were you picked like that?" He shook his head, a small cocky smirk quirking up his lips.
"Nope. I was picked while I was running after stealing some fruit from the market stalls in the second ring."
"So you were a thief before becoming an agent?"
"Not a good one, or else I wouldn't have been caught. I probably would have gotten away with it if it weren't for some guards seeing me as they walked past. I broke out into a run, eating the fruit as I ran until I couldn't hold them in my arms anymore and just began tossing them back at the guards chasing me. It was a whole ordeal, they kept running after me, I kept escaping. It was one of those big chases that became infamous in Ba Sing Se."
"I'm surprised you were able to evade for so long." 'In Omashu our guards were trained to know every crevice of the city, if a thief was on the run, they knew exactly which paths to take.'
"Unlike the Dai Li, the guards here aren't trained for such exercise. So it was easy to lose them. But- Then they called in the Dai Li to continue the chase. I had to up my game, and used earthbending to flee. I went as far as running along the wall. It took them weeks to fix the part of the wall where I had made platforms to jump to and from. Inevitably, despite all of my hard work- I was caught and reprimanded." Sadem paused in his speaking, readjusting in his seat, "I was brought to the Earth King and Long Feng. I was only 16 at the time? Yeah. Two of the most important people in Ba Sing Se decided my fate. Instead of me going to jail for a few days, or paying any fines- Long Feng recruited me as a Dai Li Agent. He was impressed with how quick I was too adapt to the situation, along with my earth bending abilities."
"You are 18 now aren't you?" He nodded at the Princess with a small smirk, "I was away for a year and a half after that, training away from the public eye. Six months ago was when I returned to the public eye. I may have worked to become a Dai Li Agent, and then become one for so long- But that doesn't mean I'm still not a rookie to my superiors." Himoko frowned, catching her tongue, 'Rookie despite working for two years...' She decided to not let her worries about how Sadem would react to her words affect her, deciding that she needed to know.
"Is that why Long Feng was so harsh on you when I arrived here? After the ambush?" Sadem's eyes widened at her question, taken aback that she had the guts to ask him that. He laughed awkwardly, adjusting the hat on his head, gaze lowering to the ground with a soft shrug.
"He wasn't too harsh on me, it was to be expected. I was escorting you, if something were to have happened to you, if I had failed, then there wouldn't be a Princess Himoko walking around anymore." 'He's lying.' Stated her inner-conscious.
"Sadem, please don't lie to me." Himoko told him, standing up from her seat. He stared up at her, confused, "Your Highness, I'm not-" He was cut off by Himoko motioning for him to stand up. He took a small breath in, maneuvering in his seat before getting up, only standing a few inches taller than her.
"Your voice gets quiet when you lie, it's easy to point out for someone like me. Please, I ask of you. Tell me the truth. I will not repeat what you have said to my cousin or Long Feng, or anyone else." He shook his head at her, softly rolling his eyes.
"I already told you the truth." He stated, his voice grown quiet again. She stared up at him, grey-blue eyes narrowed.
"Sadem, I hereby order you as Princess of Omashu, to tell me the truth- Or else I will personally go to Long Feng and ask him myself." Worry flashes across Sadem's eyes, his frown deepening as he stared back at Himoko, the teenager not backing down from his gaze. He held the feeling what she said was true, she will not hesitate to go to the advisor and ask him herself. If he doesn't tell her, she will go to Long Feng. Something itched at the back of his mind, halting him from refusing, stopping him from telling her that he would tell her at a later date. It was an odd feeling that rushed over him, but it didn't hold a strong grip on him. Himoko's eyebrows scrunched together, eyes narrowing, challenging him. Which lead to another thought and emotion to rise to the surface.
It worried him as to why Himoko was pressing into this, into the Dai Li, into him. He held a bad feeling, Himoko will find out one or another... The one, may result in him getting backhanded again, or worse.
He involuntarily shuddered, feeling the wave of cold water brush over him at the memory. Would he rather get reprimanded by Long Feng, or Princess Himoko?
He breathed in heavily, air escaping out of his nose harshly, glancing over to the entrance to the library, checking to see if there were any guards posted.
Himoko's gaze followed his line of sight, noting how tense his shoulders were, before she grabbed a hold of his arm and pulled him along with her, the two's long strides pushed them further into the library.
Sadem was scared to say the least, having to tell the Princess pulling him into the library, because she had actually ordered him to, and he could not disobey an order like that, (He could partially disobey Long Feng's order since Himoko was of higher class in authority than him). In this case, he was still unsure if he should tell her a part of the truth, or the full truth.
He didn't want to get on her bad side, he didn't want to lie to her when she was just trying to figure out her surroundings without pressing too deep- At least that's what he was thinking.
Himoko was genuinely worried about Sadem and the rest of the Dai Li's safety, Sadem more particularly because he was the youngest out of them all and was still considered as a 'recruit' by them. Aka, the busser boy who will have to do anything asked of him, if argued against, he would receive harsh punishments, varying how Long Feng's mood was that certain day.
It worried and saddened her at the same time, she didn't want him to suffer like that.
She didn't know his reasoning for being a thief back then, and she didn't need to. Because it was in the past now, right now Sadem was just Sadem, not a low-life thief.
They stopped at the back of the library, Himoko pausing for a moment, straining her ears to hear anything suspicious, to see if anyone was on the other side of that wall.
No breathing or a heart rate could be heard, they were in the clear. "What is going on?" Asked Himoko, the question hitting his mind. He breathed out an exasperated sigh, reaching up to remove his hat to run his fingers through his short hair.
"Long Feng- Ah..."
"I know it's hard, but please. I need to know what is happening with this city." Himoko pleaded with him to tell the truth.
"It's hard to explain! This goes back before you were even crowned as the Princess. Just these more recent years, things are escalating too fast to stop or slow down."
"Please elaborate, Sadem. You can't be so vague like that."
"Sorry- This is just stressing me out-" His words fell short as Himoko became distracted by the mist levitating off of the ground, swirling around them at the ankles of their legs. Sadem paid no mind Himoko noted, not noticing the new eerie presence that now inhabited the same library as them.
"-I don't want you to freak out and go to the Earth King about this."
"He doesn't know?" Sadem shook his head, a deep groan escaping his throat. Still unable to put into words on what was transpiring in the capital of the Earth Kingdom.
"Yes and no? Ah I don't know for sure. Whenever I am around him he acts so oblivious to the outside world for one moment, but then becomes all knowing the next!" His words are drowned out as Himoko stops focusing on his face, looking past him, to the figure that appeared in the corner of the room, half of its body hidden behind a bookcase. She glanced up, the category, 'Non-Fiction' being displayed.
"..." Sadem stopped talking, alerting Himoko to look back to him. A small gasp escaping her, realizing that he seemed to be frozen in time.
"I see that you have contracted them." Himoko jumped at the voice that belonged to Yangchen. She turned around, seeing the taller spirit standing behind her, the same calm and collected look gracing her features.
"Who?" Questioned Himoko. Yangchen rose her hand, gesturing to the figure standing slightly behind the bookcase.
"I apologize to have interrupted your conversation, Adversary. But it looks to me this is one of your first orders of business in this field."
"You make this sound like a job that I'm getting paid for." Himoko muttered out in reply dryly. Yangchen smirked in amusement.
"You are being paid in experience. Now, your friend will remain frozen for another ten or so minutes. I suggest for you to begin your conversation with the spectre."
"Oh that does not sound good at all." 'Spectre.' The name reminded her of the time her soul was almost eaten weeks ago. Was that really weeks ago? It seemed like it happened a year ago in reality, but it didn't in her understanding of time.
She walked carefully around Sadem's frozen body, venturing over to this 'spectre', stopping a few feet in front of it.
The spectre tilted it's head at her, softly clinging to the bookcase. The appearance of the spectre was very much human, wearing a tattered and old Earth Kingdom dress, once dark greens now faded from the water dripping down the material constantly. Long black raven hair that looked to be knotted and unkempt.
Spirits like Yangchen and La that Himoko has encountered before never held a distinct smell, as they were otherworldly and existed in the in between. But this 'spectre' reeked of sewer water and sea salt. It was an unpleasant experience standing there before it just because of the smell.
With a soft sigh, Himoko spoke, reminding herself of the time limit she was given. "I am Himoko, who are you and what is it that you need?".
To Be continued
Hello! I hope all are doing well during this virus going around. Are staying safe, eating well, hydrating, and staying inside if you are able to :).
Also enjoying the extended Spring Break from this XD.
We are all going to look back on this, in like a year, and just die internally on the inside of what all transpired during this time. Both in Meme material because of the toilet paper craze, and because of how many people we lost.
A lot of highs and lows, and so I hope all of your reading this mildly distracted you from what all is going on right now, even it was just for a few minutes :).
Let's talk a little bit about the chapter, it will be quick because I'm actually fighting a headache right now so sorry that I can't go really into depth about the chapter!
Aang talks with Bumi about the different types of Gin, and Bumi says that Himoko is currently on her own path of Gin. Does anyone know what type of Gin she is currently taking part in? Comment if you do! Test your knowledge.
Switches to Himoko and Sadem! We hadn't seen Sadem for a couple of chapters, so I just had to bring him back because he does hold importance later on, and with Himoko's development.
Orders Sadem to tell her what is going on, he never gets to in this chapter because he is 'rudely' interrupted by a spectre! This is the beginning of Himoko's duties as the Adversary, which will be fun to write about!
Thank you all for reading, stay safe and I will talk to you all later! -Golden
Word Count without A/N: 2,989
Total Word Count: 3,286
Total Pages: 9.2